Deathly Silence
by WhatIsEssentialToTheHeart
Summary: Sakura is the Vampire Queen and future clan leader of Akatsuki. Her people and the Vampire Council urge her to marry when she turns eighteen, as is custom for the royal monarch. But as much as she loves serving her people and doing all that is in her power to provide for them, Sakura refuses to marry on anyone's orders. What will Sakura do? Full summary inside.
1. Death By Fire?

**A new fanfic. I thought of it during Halloween, but it took forever to actually go through with it. **

**Summary: Sakura is the Vampire Queen and future clan leader of Akatsuki. Her people and the Vampire Council urge her to marry when she turns eighteen, as is custom for the royal monarch. But as much as she loves serving her people and doing all that is in her power to provide for them, Sakura refuses to marry on anyone's orders.**

**Time is running out as the current leader of the Akatsuki, Pein, begins to take more control. There's a sinister plot unfolding. And for Sakura to gain power over all Vampires and keep a war from brewing she has to marry in order to become clan leader-soon. **

**That's when Itachi-a close advisor of Sakura's and a member of Akatsuki tells her to marry his brother as he believes they will make a perfect political match and rule the Vampire kingdom together bringing them prosperity. But there's a catch, Sasuke Uchiha is a mere Halfling, a breed that is much looked down upon and scorned. Unknown to him that he has powerful vamp blood running through his vein, Sasuke lives the life of a human, oblivious to the Vampire world. **

**Sakura finds herself caught up in a web of deceit, betrayal, and uncertain of who to turn to because it seems as if everyone has secrets. They're all hiding something. Something that might help fight her own demons on the night her family was massacred. What will Sakura do? Is there a way to rescue her people, stop a war, fall in love, and unravel the mysteries before it's too late?**

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**Chapter One: Death by Fire?**

_There was blood everywhere, splattered on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Bodies lay strewn across the floor. The beautiful gothic mansion he'd grown up in was tainted with red. A chilling, dark laugh sounded through the night, making his blood turn cold. _

_Deeper into the mansion, there were more bodies. He knew he had to leave but he couldn't get his legs to move towards the exit. It was as if they were acting of their own accord pulling him into the heart of the manor. _

_The little boy stopped as the sight before him brought bile into his mouth. He retched violently, his sobs the only other sound beside the maniacal laughter. The boy's parents were piled on the floor, his father's arms wrapped protectively around his mother. It was obvious the man had tried to protect his wife from whatever horror that had brought upon their death in vain. _

_The boy heard the clumps of shoes approaching; the evil laughter had stopped. Before him stood a man with glistening, canine teeth and dark crimson eyes. His slender, pale hands painted with blood. A man the boy would hate for years to come-hatred with a promised vengeance. _

_"Hate." The man's voice was as soft as velvet, yet strong and powerful. "Let that hatred consume you. Let it overpower you. And only then will you be strong. Grow strong enough to exact your vengeance." _

_For a second, the boy thought he saw a shimmer of sadness in those all-knowing red eyes but it was gone before he could be sure. _

_In a flash, before he could garner a reaction the man-with-red-eyes was next to him. His teeth poised at the neck of the boy. The man's teeth pierced the tender, creamy flesh. Pushing gently into the skin, drawing fresh blood. _

_The agony was unbearable, the boy writhed in pain. Kicking and squirming he tried to get out of the red-eyed man's grasp, but it only tightened holding his arms captive. _

_The boy looked once more into the crimson eyes which were hazy with a strong emotion-an emotion he was too young to identify. _

Sasuke awoke from his nightmare in a cold sweat, gasping for air. His hand unconsciously flew to the spot where the fangs had pierced his skin only moments before, but like every other night there was no mark.

Reassuring himself that it was nothing more than a nightmare, the nineteen-year-old pushed aside his blankets. A slight breeze drifted in through the night air, providing Sasuke with a cool relief. He ran an agitated hand through his messy, spiky raven hair.

There was no break from the nightmares which had plagued him since the night his parents had died in a fire. The nightmares showed that they'd been murdered by a crimson-eyed fiend, but maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him. His family certainly hadn't been rich enough to afford a mansion such as the one in the dream.The dreams made no sense-they contradicted with reality.

So why couldn't Sasuke shake the feeling that there was more to his parents' death? Deciding he wouldn't be able to get any more sleep for the night, Sasuke got out of bed. His bare feet made contact with the cool hardwood floor, making him shiver slightly. He reached down to retrieve his shirt from the ground.

Maybe a walk would clear his head. So Sasuke went into his closet and grabbed a pair of dark sweats, pulling them on over his black boxers. He opened the door to his room and stepped out in the hallway, making sure to creep lightly so as to not disturb the sleeping occupants of the boardinghouse.

Sasuke walked to the local park, a few blocks from where he lived, in a quiet neighborhood. He sat down on a wooden bench underneath a willow tree and looked up at the waning crescent moon.

There was a rustling in the trees behind Sasuke, his instincts warning him that someone was around. His shoulders stiffened as he slowly reached for a small dagger he carried with him for protection in his pockets; Suigetsu-his housemate-thought he was paranoid.

"Hello," a sturdy, feminine voice drifted through the cool air. Out of the shadows stepped a woman whose face was covered by a cloak. Sasuke relaxed slightly, but wondered why a young woman would be out so late at night.

Sasuke returned the greeting. Out of politeness he asked if she would like to sit, gesturing towards the empty spot beside him on the bench. He didn't know why but there was something about this woman that seemed familiar. Maybe he'd met her somewhere.

The cloaked woman hesitated slightly before accepting his offer. "Thank you." A comfortable silence ensued. Sasuke wondered what about this woman seemed to put his instincts to rest.

The woman broke the silence. "It's a beautiful night."

Sasuke nodded. "It often is in Suna." He hadn't been living here for very long, only three years since his business had started.

Boldly Sasuke asked, "Do you live here?" He didn't know what made him ask her. It was probably because he couldn't let go of the sense of familiarity.

She hesitated, "No. I'm from Konoha." The name of her village sparked something in Sasuke, but he couldn't say exactly what.

"Ah," he commented. "That's a long way." Sasuke glanced at the stranger again, taking in her form. She was slender with female curves. And the way she held herself told him that she was either rich or an aristocrat, or probably both. The black cloak prevented him from seeing her face.

"I'm here visiting some . . . relatives. What about you? Are you from here?" she asked.

Sasuke took a moment to answer. He didn't know where he was from. His parents had died when he was eight, too young to remember the place he called home. "No, I don't have a home. But I plan on staying here a few more years before heading north."

The woman nodded. They sat there for a long time in companionable comfort until the sky turned light hues of pinks, and oranges signaling the rise of the sun.

She stood and turned to Sasuke, "I must be going. It was nice speaking to you." And then she disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

There was a sudden desire to follow the woman which stumped Sasuke. This was a woman he barely knew, yet . . . Shaking his head of such thoughts he stood up, stretching. Even though he had barely gotten any sleep, Sasuke was ready to face the approaching day. He'd probably be preoccupied with handling orders for weapons and hiring new staff. Speaking of which, he needed to look for an overview manager.


	2. The Akatsuki

**Next Chapter! Review!**

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**Chapter Two: The Akatsuki**

_The sound of angry voices assaulted Sakura's ears as she stepped into the darkened chamber room, the only light coming from suspended candles in the candelabra. If this was how the Council was going to act even before the official meeting began, Sakura wondered how they'd behave when it was actually in session. _

_She cleared her throat, gliding gracefully towards the front of the room, where a golden throne with vermillion cushions sat upon a stage. The Council quieted as they watched her move to her seat, the hem of her crimson kimono dragging behind. She held herself regally. Her unusually pink, wavy hair was tied into a bun resting at the nape of her neck. The eighteen year-old woman's face was expressionless. Even though she was younger than every one of the members of Council, she demanded respect which they gave; some, reluctantly. _

_"My Queen," murmured all who were present. All twenty-three Council members stood and remained standing until she finally sat lithely upon her throne. _

_"I understand the Council has some matters of concern which they would like to speak about," Sakura said, signaling a delegate to step forward and begin speaking. She was surprised when a handsome dark-haired and crimson eyed man stood before her. Itachi wasn't one for attending the Council meetings they held. He'd quite simply stated they were pointless meetings in which the Council only ranted about the many things they found unfair to themselves-with little to none concerns of the civilians they represented. _

_"My Queen," he bowed, a slight smile playing at the edge of his lips. Sakura was quite sure he found this whole affair quite amusing. But it was only she in the room who didn't know what the Council wished to speak to her about. It was only a few more moments until she was informed. _

_"Itachi," she acknowledged as was custom for the monarch. He stood straight; the cloak he wore had a symbol of a red cloud over his heart. The symbol for Akatsuki. _

_"As your Highness and all the rest of the kingdom know, your eighteenth year is coming to a close end. And as many generations before, our rulers have wedded before their eighteenth year ended," Itachi paused, his eyes twinkling. _

_Sakura pursed her lips discreetly. So that was what this entire ruckus was about? A silly marriage matter? But knowing the Council as she did, Sakura knew they would not let this matter rest until they had some sort of agreement from her-which she had no intention of doing. _

_Itachi continued. "It is the sincerest wish and desire of the kingdom for you to wed, before the months are long gone." _

_"I see," but she really didn't. Why would she marry just because the Council wanted her to? They had no power over her. "And this is the thoughts of all the members present?" _

_Itachi nodded and was about to speak when Pein, leader of the Akatsuki clan, spoke. "My Queen." _

_She gestured for him to speak. He bowed his head. "Your Majesty, I don't believe all of us here agree on this matter." There were shocked mutterings after he said this. _

_Sakura narrowed her eyes, why would Pein disagree? Lately, he'd been doing all he could to trouble her. He'd even pointed out her flaws in ruling the kingdom on certain occasions. She knew he was plotting something. But she wasn't sure what. Possibly a rebellion. As he was the leader of the all-powerful head clan, after her father had died, Sakura couldn't take an immediate action against him. She knew he was plotting something. But she wasn't sure what. She'd kept a strong eye on him for the past weeks. _

_"Oh?" Maybe this was a part of his plan. But what was his target? Pein was a very complex man. For as long as Sakura had known him-she could never figure him out. His motives, his aspirations, his thoughts, they were all kept hidden. He was a very powerful figure in the kingdom-power that rivaled Sakura's. All because he was the head clan leader. She wondered what had made her father declare Pein to be leader after his death. As per custom, the next-in-line to the throne was supposed to be Akatsuki's head. _

_She decided to delve into the matter as soon as this meeting was dismissed. And it would be dismissed on her terms. Sakura Haruno would not marry. _

_"Are these the wishes of the entire Akatsuki clan?" Sakura highly doubted all ten members of the Akatsuki agreed with Pein-the current members (though immensely powerful) were a hard bunch to control. _

_Pein nodded and Sakura looked to Itachi-surely Pein was lying? But he nodded as well although from the expression on his face he longed to disagree. _

_The Council disrupted into pandemonium. Only Itachi, Pein, Sakura, and Kakashi were calm. As Sakura watched the other three try to calm the agitated members, she thought the situation over. She knew that the main reason they wanted her to wed was due to custom. The Council was very strong on customs and following them through. The customs had been followed through for years before and did not fail to keep the entire kingdom in order. _

_But Sakura had an eerie feeling that this balance and order would not last for long. In the other parts of the world where the Queen's power wasn't as strong several rebellions had started. Of course Sakura had visited those places and convinced the people to cease the outbursts. Something was definitely wrong. Everything had been going perfectly smooth until her eighteenth year. Could it possibly deal with the issue of her marriage? Were the people in an uproar since she had no inclination to marry? _

_As she watched Pein sitting calmly taking in the chaos around him, Sakura knew this was not the case. Somehow this had to do with Pein. She was sure of it. It wasn't a secret that he disapproved of her rule. _

_And she was going to do everything in her power to find out what he was up to. _

"Sakura?" Itachi called approaching her as she entered the castle's vast library.

"Yes, Itachi?" She took off her black cloak, laying it on one of the chairs.

"How'd it go?" The man looked at her closely, his all-knowing crimson eyes searching.

Sakura sighed, "We talked for a while. He seemed to be quite a bit disturbed. And he was in the village you told me he would be."

Itachi nodded. "We shouldn't speak to the Council of this matter until we get somewhere. They'd be in an uproar if they found out. He is a Halfling, after all." He spoke quietly, but Sakura could hear the pain in his voice. She knew he was thinking about the past, something he never spoke of.

Sakura couldn't help but wonder what caused his pain. She knew nothing of him before he'd become a member of Akatsuki and the Council. Still she couldn't help but place her trust in him. Something she didn't normally do.

"So do you think this could thwart Pein's attempts?" she asked, changing the subject.

Itachi gave a slight smile. "Possibly. He would never expect this. I must say Sakura, I don't think there's been a person in history who's gone against the Akatsuki leader, especially not a member of the clan. But then again, in history, the clan leader was always the King or Queen."

Sakura smiled, "Why can't I just marry you? This would be so much easier." She laughed as she thought of the ridiculous notion.

Itachi chuckled, "Indeed?"

Sakura's thoughts drifted to Pein. Was he really trying to start _another _war? The last one had been a hundred years ago. And the loss was devastating. It'd almost wiped out the entire population. If so, then she had to stop him at whatever cost. Even if it meant having to marry.

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**How do you like it? Next Chapter: Of Plotting and Planning!**


	3. Of Plotting and Planning

**I hate writing these Author's Notes so no more notes until . . . well, until I feel like it. Review!**

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**Chapter Three: Of Plots and Plannings**

"Kakashi!" Startled, Sakura dropped the scrolls she'd been holding. She hadn't noticed her former Sensei walk into the library. But then again she'd been so immersed in her work, she didn't notice mush else.

"Ah, Sakura. Just the person I was looking for." Kakashi walked up to Sakura and glanced down at the scrolls and texts lying on the cherry wood floor in a jumble. "I see you're quite busy."

"Yes," Sakura sighed. "This matter of marriage is taking quite the toll."

"Which is precisely what I wanted to speak to you about," he hesitated. "I think you should have a seat. This might take a while."

Sakura cleared the table of the vast amounts of paperwork she'd been looking through and took a seat. "Well, I suppose I have time. But we have to make it quick. I have to meet with a couple of the province governors. I swear my life is going to waste away holding meetings with these old people. No offense," she smiled, glancing at Kakashi.

"None taken. Let's just get straight to the matter at hand." His tone turned serious. "I take it you've noticed the Akatsuki clan leader's growth in power."

Sakura scowled. "Of course. Anyone would be blind not to have noticed-"

"Hold that thought." The pink-haired Queen looked on in confusion as Kakashi rose out of his seat and walked to the great oak doors. He closed the doors securely and muttered a sealing technique, preventing eavesdroppers.

"Pein, is quite a character. No one really knows about him. He just appeared one day and then your father, His Majesty- May His Soul Find Peace- declared him to be Akatsuki's leader. That in itself is unusual and no one knows what prompted His Majesty to make this decision. No one disputed his choice and the Council accepted Pein after seeing his extraordinary leadership skills."

"Father was acting quite suspicious the weeks leading up to his death. That's around the same time Pein appeared. Something doesn't add up," Sakura mused, lost in her thoughts. Everyone knew that her father-the King's-death was not a natural death, but no one said anything about it. There were no signs of poison or abuse; he'd just died in his sleep.

Even though Sakura hadn't been very close to her father in years, she missed him terribly. And the days before his death he'd stopped acting cold and distant with his daughter. The King cherished her, but as the duties and responsibilities became suffocating he began to close himself away from his only family. It had hurt, but Sakura had dealt with in the best possible way. After all what kind of future ruler would she be if she couldn't even control and deal with her own emotions?

Kakashi was quiet a long time. And then Sakura asked him a question that had been in the back of her mind for a while. "Kakashi, why do you think I should marry?"

He put a slender finger to his chin. "I thought you would know." He looked into her eyes. "Sakura, you're only eighteen and you're taking on such huge responsibilities all by yourself. Ever since you were sixteen this has been thrust upon you. Even though you've been trained for this, it wasn't enough. Sakura, you're not happy."

Sakura was about to protest when Kakashi cut her off by holding up his hand. "Don't try to deny it, Sakura. You need someone to share this burden. Witnessing both your parent's deaths, having no one to turn to, and unable to enjoy life to the full-it's hard. And then the fact that the entire world rests on your shoulders-before you even became of age. Sakura, you need someone to share the sorrows and pain. I'll admit even though the Council may be . . . difficult . . . at times, they do what's for the best." Upon Sakura's look of disbelief, he added, "Most of the time when they're not wallowing within their selfishness."

Sakura nodded. "That doesn't explain why Pein is against this. What's his hidden agenda?" She knew that without fear, Sakura could discuss this freely with Kakashi who wasn't like the other Council members. He did what was best for everyone, including Sakura.

"Has the possibility of a Second Great War struck your thoughts?"

There was a flash of pure fear in her emerald eyes, before it was hidden behind an expressionless exterior. "It has, but would Pein actually go through those extremes? And for what? Our race barely survived a hundred years ago."

"We'd better figure it out, ourselves. I don't know if I should say this, but be careful of whom you trust. There's no limits to the extent people would go to for power," Kakashi grasped her small, soft hands in his larger ones.

Sakura wondered if he could also mean Itachi, she knew that he wasn't entirely trustful of the tall and dark man. "If Pein's intentions are to brew another war, we have to be prepared and put a stop to this."

"Perhaps Naruto should know of this," Kakashi's eyes had a strange twinkle as he spoke of their natural "enemy". "He would, of course, lend his help."

Sakura smiled, so he knew about her secret meetings with the wolves. There were no hiding things like that from Kakashi. Which brought Sakura back to the thing with Itachi. Should she tell Kakashi about what they'd planned? Even though Itachi was a part of the Akatsuki, he could be trusted and he didn't seem too keen on the idea of having Pein as leader.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Kakashi knew something was up, but Sakura was certain he didn't know about Itachi's plan. Otherwise, he would've stepped in. Even though Kakashi wasn't like the others, he wouldn't stand for a Halfling. No one would.

She knew that Kakashi had suffered greatly from an uncontrolled Halfling who'd wreaked havoc on the Western end of the border, twenty years ago. The scars ran deep and not just the visible ones, Sakura eyed the mask covering half his face. She didn't take Kakashi for one to hold grudges, but sometimes things happen to change you forever. Although his hatred for Halflings wasn't as bad as the others, Kakashi still wouldn't relinquish the feelings of anger. Sometimes one person could ruin everything, sometimes one action speaks for many.

Personally, Sakura didn't find anything wrong with Halflings, but then she hadn't been born during the Great War. She remembered many people held scars that ran deep and contempt of what they dubbed the "inferior" race. To Sakura they were like many of the other races, fighting for their freedom and tired of the contempt many held for them. They were just speaking out against the cruelties they'd been subjected to for far too long.

In this way she was reminded of Naruto. He was someone that understood the pain of losing someone. And unlike Kakashi, didn't hold anger or hatred towards the ones that were responsible. Instead, he worked to make sure that nothing like that would ever happen again and strived towards peace.

Sakura respected Naruto's outlook and the way he handled his people as leader. He never dubbed the title "King". For him, it was too extravagant and meaningless. Even though he was dense and an idiot at times, Naruto was wise and his words held a powerful impact. They changed the lives and opinions of many he came across, like Kakashi and Sakura. It was due to him that Kakashi's hatred had dimmed considerably, although not vanishing entirely.

Rousing from her thoughts, Sakura shook her head, "No, there's nothing."

Kakashi stood, nodding his head slightly disappointed. "I think you should meet with a man-Jiraiya. He might hold some answers for our questions that could possibly help us out."

Sakura looked up eagerly, "Where can I find him?"

"Suna."

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**Review! Next chapter will go up sometime this week(end). **


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